Car construction



June 22 1926.

H. W. WILLIAMS GAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 7, 1922 Patented June 22,1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER W. WILIJAMS, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS.

\ CAR CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed December 7, 1922. Serial No. 605,488.

My invention relates more particularly to the method of constructing orreenforcing the ends of railway cars, such asgondola or box cars andcomprises means whereby the end structure is IG-QllfOl'CQCl, resistanceto load bolster toward the ends of the car.

My invention contemplates meansso dis posed as to act as a cantileverwhich rests on and is secured to the under-frame of the car and adaptedto transmit the strains or shocks to the heavy timbers or members of theunderframe; the bracing in reality constituting an integral part of thecar structure, with the result that the usual'weakness in the endframing of freight cars, especially of the gondola or box car type, isthereby eliminated and a concentration of strength provided atpointswhere the strains, due to shifting loads,are usually concentrated orencountered. a t i The objects and advantages of my invention will bemore readily comprehended and understood from the detailed descriptionof the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an end elevation of agondola type of car with the running gear omitted. Figure 2 is afragmentary view in elevation'of the side of the car at one end.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure tion of thearrows.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 1.a;

As my invention is applicable to the well known type of composite woodand steel construction of gondola car or box car at present in use, aspecific description of the general car construction need not be enteredinto.

at 1 looking inthe direcrelation with each In the exemplification of theinvention, as disclosed in F1gure 1, where one end of a gondola carhasbeen shown composed of the usual plank or timber construction, asshown at 20 in Figure 3, reenforced at the top and bottom by suitableangle irons or members as at 21 with the longitudinal center providedwith the usual striking casting at 22 disposed coincident with the usualdraft rigging under the floor of the car.

My improved reenforcing -means comprises a structural member 23 adaptedto extend from top to bottom at the end of the car and of suitable sheetmetal. preferably formed with a longitudinal rib as at 24 disposedsubstantially throughout the length v of the reenforcing member 23. Inthe particular exemplification of the invention as disclosed in Figure1,,the reenforcing rib 24 is shown produced by providing thelongitudinal centerof the member 23 with a corrugation" having a roundedexterior surface, somewhat U-shape in cross section, as disclosed inFigure 6; with the ends of the corrugation or outwardly dished portion'of the member 23 preferably tapering off into the flat end ortionswhich are shown preferably flare or enlarged. In Figure -1, the upperend of the member 23, where it is flared or enlarged as shown at 23*, issuitably secured to the reenforcing angle iron 21 disposed about theupper outer side of the car; while the lower endisintended to bedisposed rearward of and secured to the striking casting or plate 22 andtherefore to the underframe or structural portion of the car.

Diverging upwardly from opposite sides of the lower end of theree'nforcing member 23, I provide the brace members25 25, also composedof suitable sheet metal with. a longitudinally disposed rib orcorrugation as at 26,,preferably somewhat of enlarged channel formationas shown. in cross section in Figure 4. The ends of the brace members 25are also preferably enlarged to provide suitable attachingpoints wherebythe upper ends may have lapping relation with and be secured or rivetedto the reenforcing angle member 21, whilethe lower ends of both bracemembers 25 are brought into close other i and preferably rearward of themember 23 so as to permit the same securing means or rivets whereby thelower end ofimember 23 is secured in place to also constitute fasteningmeans or rivets for a portiem of the lower ends of? the brace members25jwhile theimmediate lower ends of both brace members 25,- whichare alsoarranged rearward-Jot the sstriIcing; casting or plate 22, are securedto the undertrame by the same rivets or fasteningfnrean's; whereby thestriking plate and the lower end of the member 23 are secured in place.

The intermediate portionsof the members 23' and 25, atsuitabl'eintervals,- are "secured to the body or'end' of the car by suitable"bolts and'nuts as at 27 'Tthereby securing the end. planks 20in fl'ushrelation' wi-ththe re v enforcing members:

The corners of thezcanflnam'ely" the" jnnc' tu-resbetw'een the sides andends iof' the' car; are each provided with. reenforcing: memher orangular metallicplate 28 formed tolie Hat with thesides"andendsofthecar' as shown in" Eigures '1, 2i and 5"; the lowerends.ofthe'reenforcing members or p1ate2'8 being preferably flared orenlarged to provide greater attaching and reenforcing" sur; faces at theside and endisil'ls' otthecar' underframe. The members 28 are adapted toextend from a point adjacent to the. top" ot the car to a pointprefrablybeneath: the floor level" and therefore in lapping relati'onwith the side sills astshowniat 29Fin1Figures: 1 and 2; the lowerendsib'eing rigidly secured to the side and end sills while. the upperends are adaptedtob'e secured'toi the reenforcing; member 21 and thatportion of the reenforcin'g members 28 disposed? about the end of thecar adjacent the top is pref erably; disposed beneath. and in partiallapping relation with the upper ends of the: brace members25, 25, so"that the-rivets or other securing means"at'the upperends of the bracemembers :25 will also? constitute the securing means for the upper:portions of the members 28 at: the ends 'of'th'e car; The corner members28 like. the. members 25, 25 and 23, at sulit'abl' e" the lengthsthereof, are also preferably perforated. to receive bolts fbnsecuringtheend and side planks 2'0 'th'ereto. The: corner reenforcing members 28,"aswellias thereenforcing membersz25, or atl'east'one of the latter, atproper: po'intsa're adapted to P8: ceive'bolts for securinm'the handhol'dsand steps indicated at" 30' arranged along the ends ofthe car aswellfas onzthesidesa'dj ae cent to the ends:

My improved tripartitecar end reenforcemen't' or inverted tripodalbracing provides a cantilever construction from: body holster out to theend of the car with compression strains being transmitted to the centerbeam of the car underfi'ame, whereby both side sills and the side"plates are held and supported; while the corner plates 28 i'nreality actas suspension members or. links tohold up the corners'of the'car; the"bracing'oiiering proper resistance to the load thrusts,

points throughout transferring-'1 the shocks to the structural membersof the car undertrame; that is to say, my improved bracing serves athreefold purpose, namely providing a very strong end construction;providing a dia gonallbracing which prevents the sides of the car fromspreading ;and acting as a cantilever wh ereby the sides of the car areprevented from drooping down "from the bblster-towardihe ends otthe car,as the tripartite bracingorcantilev'er restson or is securedto the carunderframe.

I have shown and describ-ed wha't I believe to be simple adaptationsot-my invention, which has been described in terms empl oyed merely'asterms of description and not as" terms of-limitation, as structuralmodifications may bemade without, however, departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

1; In'a composite woodand steel'car construction," provided with astriking casting, an" inverted: tripod brace whereby the compressionstrains are transmittedto the longitudinal center sill of the' carunderframe, said brace consisting" of ametal plate disposedverticallyat'the center of the car end wall, and a pair of metal platesdisposed diagonally upward" from the lower end of thefirst'mention'edplate, the lower ends of the threeplates being arrangedin lapping relationintermediate of the car end' si l-l and the strikingcasting at the longitudinal center line of the car, with said lower endsand the striking casting being" secured to the car underframe, while theupper ends of the three plates are secured to the top reen forcingmember" of the car, and suspension members disposed about the corners ofthe carb'odyin lapping relation with the up per ends of the diagonallyarranged plates", while the lower ends are secured to the side andend-sills of the car.

2." In a-comp'osite wood and steel ca-r construction,- the combinationof'a striking'casting, with tripartite brace composed of a metal platearranged rearward of the strikihgcasting at the center of the car endwall while the upper end is secured to the top reenforcingmember of thecar, a pair of diagonally arranged plates extending upwardly from thelower end of the firstmentioned plateto the upper corners of the carend, all of said-plates being provided with outwardly disposedrigiditying surfaces arranged" lengthwise of said plates intermediate ofthe longitudinal edges oi. the plates, the lower ends of the threeplates being in lapping relation rearward of the striking castin'gandriveted'to the car undertrame by the rivets which secure the strikingcasting in place whereby said rivets are placed in doubleshear, andmetallic corner posts disposed about the cornersol the car; with theupper ends in lapping relation witlrthe difirst member rearward of thestriking easting member about the upper end of a car body and thestriking block or casting at the longitudinal center line of the car, a

metallic car-end bracing comprising a vertically disposed member securedat top to said reenforcing member while the lower end is arrangedrearward of the striking block or casting, and a pair of upwardlydiverging members extending from said striking easting toward said topreenforcing member adjacent to the sides of the car body, the lower endsof the upwardly diverging members being arranged in lapping relationwith the ing, the lower ends of the three members and the strikingcasting being riveted to the car end sill and to the longitudinal centersill of the car underframe.

4. In the end construction of a composite car provided with a topreenforcing member and a striking casting at the longitudinal centerline of the car, a tripartite brace composed of vertically and upwardlydiverging members, each provided with a longitudinal rib along thelongitudinal center of the member and tapering at the ends so as toprovide fiat ends for said members, the lower ends of: all of saidmembers being arranged in lapping relation and secured to the carunderframe rearward of: the striking casting while the upper ends aresecured to the top reenforcing member.

HOMER W. WILLIAMS.

